Counterbalance for phonograph-horns.



A. A. HUSEBY.

COUNTERBALANCE FOR PHONOGRAPH uoaus.

APPLICATIOIQ HLEDAPR. I8. 1917.

1,241,11 9. Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

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ALBERT A. HUSEIBY, or cnroneo, ILLIUNOIS.

COUNTERBALANCE FOR FHONOGRAPH-HORNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 191 7.

Application filed April 18, 1917. Serial No. 162,876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. HUSEBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counterbalances for Phonogra h-Horns, of which the following is a speci cation.

This invention relates to the general art of vphonographs or talking machines, and has reference more particularly to an improved means for counterbalancing horns of that type wherein the horn or sound conveyer, including what is commonly known as the tone arm, is mounted to oscillate radially of the record disk-and is supported on a single horizontal pivot or bearing below the usual table which divides the machine cabinet into upper and lower compartments, accommodating the tone arm, reproducer, turntable and record disk on the one hand, and the motor mechanism and amplifier on the other. A talking machine of this type employing a sound conveyer or horn of the character to which the present improvements are applied is illustrated in my former. Patent No. 1,198,636, dated September 19, 1916.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a counterbalance mechanism of greater sensitiveness and accuracy than those heretofore used; more specific objects being to provide a mechanism wherein theflweight proper shall be capable of adjustmerit not only vertically with relation to the pivot but also laterally so as to correct any slight error and render the balancing of the horn in all positions as perfect as possible, to provide a mechanism wherein the horn shall be so delicately balanced that the lateral thrust of the record groove on the stylus shall be practically limited to only such as is necessary to overcome the slight friction of the pivot hearing, and to provide a counterbalance mechamsm of simple and cheap construction and readil capable of adjustment without the necessity of disassembling the parts.

With these and other minor objects in view which will be apparent from the following description, the invention consists in the improved counterbalance mechanism hereinafter described and definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention, its principle of operation, and the advantages inherent therein will readily be apparent to those familiar with this art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical section through the lower compartment of a talking machine cabinet and the horn, showing my improved counterbalance mechanism in side elevation as applied to the horn;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the same parts as seen from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the bottom wall, 6 a side wall, 7 a remov able rear wall or panel, and 8 the top wall of the lower compartment of an ordinary talking -machine cabinet, the top wall 8 representing the horizontal partition, to the underside of which is usually attached the motor and its controlling mechanism, and above which is mounted the usual turntable that supports the record disk. 9 designates the lower section of the sound conveyer that is coupled at its upper end to the upper or tone arm section (not shown) and is commonly known as the horn. On the horn 9 is a rearwardly extending lug 10, to the underside of which is bolted a depending hinge member 11 carrying on its forward and rear edges knife-edge pintles, 12 and 13 respectively, that engage relatively inverted V-shaped bearings, 14 and 15 respectively, formed on the upper end of a skeleton supporting frame desi nated as an entirety y 16, this latter restmgbupon and bein secured to the floor or ase 5 of the ca inet.

Secured in the opposite sides of the lug 10 by supporting and adjusting nuts 17 are a pair of depending rods 18, each of which has an outwardly bowed lower portion 18', the extreme lower ends of these rods being turned inwardly and threaded, and engaging in the o posite ends of an externally threaded horizontal member 19 which serves as a coupling for, as well as being so ported by, the lower ends of the rods. lidably mounted on the threaded member 19 is the counterweight pro er 20. This counterweight may be ad uSted, and confined in adjusted position, lengthwise of the member 19 by means of a pair of nuts 21 on the member 19 that engage the opposite ends of the counterweight.

Primary adjustment of the counterweight in a vertical direction relatively to the pivot is secured by manipulation ofthe nuts 17, by which the effective length of the weightsuspending means is adjusted so that the portion of the sound conveyer below the horizontal pivot or axis will substantially counterbalance the portion above said axis in all positions or angles of the sound conveyer. In case thevertical halves of the sound conveyor should not exactly balance each other, or the axis of the hinge bearing should not exactly coincide with the vertical median plane of the sound com'eyer, so that the-flattennormally tends to hang slightly to one side or the other, this can be corrected by a horizontal adjustment of the counterweight 20 to one side or the other in the manner already described. By means of both the vertical and horizontal adjustability of the counterweight, I am enabled to obtain-a very delicate and sensitive balance of the sound conreyer and thereby greatly reduce the wear of the record that results from the lateral thrust of the record groove against the point of the stylus to invention to the details disclosed except to the extent indicated in specific claims.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a sound conveyer, of a stationary supporting member having bearings, a hinge member rigid with said sound conveyor and having pintles engaging said bearings, a pair of spaced rods suspended from-*said"hinge meinber on opposite sides of the axial line of said bearings respectively, a horizontal member supported by-and 'between'the lower'ends-of said rods, :1 counterweight slidably mounted on said horizontal *member, and means for securing said counterweight inanyadjustable position on said horizontal member.

QuIn a mechanism of the character described, the combination with a sound conveyer, of a stationary supporting member having bearingsya hinge'member rigid with said sound oon'veyerand' having pintles engaging said bearings, a pair 'ofspaced rods suspended from-said hinge 'inernber on opposite sides ofthe axial line of said bearings respectively and formed with inwardly turnedlower ends; anexternallythreaded horizontal member having ho'llow ends by which it is supported by and between the inturned ends of said rddsga counterweight slidably mounted on said -horizontal -memher, and nuts on saidhho'rizontal member engaging the opposite ends-of said counterweight.

ALBERT A. HUSEBY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained'for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner-.46! Tatents, Washington; 11.0." 

